Richards Bay FC bosses and supporters are up in arms, blaming the City of uMhlathuze for depriving them of football in their own backyard.
The gatvol fans also say that the IFP-led municipality located on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal contributed to the club’s woes, with the outfit languishing in the 15th spot on the PSL log.
They are complaining over the unfinished, R200-million refurbishing of the uMhlathuze Sports Complex which has reulted in the club playing their matches in KwaMashu.
Only two points separate the club from Cape Town Spurs on the PSL table, and with just eight matches remaining, the club is likely to be relegated and may have to battle it out in the lottery of play-offs.
But in the streets of Richards Bay, people believe that home backing would have propelled the “Natal Rich Boyz”, as the outfit is affectionately known, to greater heights.
Delani Gumede, a long-serving club supporter, told Sunday World this week that when the club was promoted to the elite Premier Soccer League (PSL) during the 2021/22 season, there was a sense of euphoria and optimism among locals that they would finally watch live PSL matches in their own city.
“The promotion of Richards Bay to PSL was big news because we knew that it would change the face of the city. We mobilised support from every village and township, urging them to throw their weight behind the club. The municipality made a massive commitment that R200-million had been invested to improve the pitch to meet PSL standards. They made promises that the plan was to ensure that the club plays its matches behind local fans,” said Gumede this week.
In 2022, uMhlathuze mayor Xolani Ngwezi announced that the city had approved the injection of R200-million towards the refurbishment and renovation of the local uMhlathuze stadium to PSL standard. At the heart of the grand plan was to keep Richards Bay FC in Richards Bay and improve the capacity of the stadium.
“We are keeping the PSL updated on everything that we are doing. The plan is to ensure that the first home game of Richards Bay FC is played at the stadium. The upgrades to the stadium have already begun,” he told Sunday World at the time.
Almost two years later, the promises have come to naught. While the club continues to train on the spot field owned by the local Empangeni High School, the outfit plays its home matches at the KwaMashu-based King Zwelithini stadium in Durban, which is almost a two-hour drive away. The changes come at a hefty price for the club in terms of accommodation and travel expenses.
The club owners are also reported to be struggling to keep the team afloat.
Ngwezi explained that they had unprecedented delays in completing the stadium, which he says was at almost 95% completion.
According to the mayor, of the R200-million, close to R150-million had been spent.
“We are still hopeful that Richards Bay will use the stadium in seasons to come, or else any football club can utilise it.”
In 2017, the now-defunct Thanda Royal Zulu gained promotion to the PSL, but the excitement was short-lived when the owners sold the club’s PSL status to AmaZulu.
